It is always fascinating to find out what the most desired postcodes in the country are – will they be near you? Might one of them even be the one you live in? A wide range of factors, including employability levels, the affordability of housing, crime rates and the overall quality of health and educational services, are taken into account. The Royal Mail, in a study commissioned to mark the fortieth anniversary of the postcode, have now revealed the most popular postcodes in England, Scotland and Wales. Postcode SP9, for the town of Tidworth in Wiltshire, was named the best postcode…

Although a drop in house asking prices throughout August is generally expected by the property industry, prices this August have fallen faster than were expected by the market. London, as it often does, led the way, sparking speculation that higher interest rates are on the way. New properties coming onto the market saw a 2.9 percent reduction in their initial asking prices, which subsequently led to a slowing-down of the annual rate of price growth to 5.3 percent in August from 6.5 percent in July, according to Rightmove. Asking prices within the capital fell for a third consecutive month, equalling much…

The housing market slowed down across the UK throughout July, and even went into reverse in London, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Demand and sales alike have fallen, especially in the capital, but the number of houses and apartments for sale has increased. As is often the case, worries about the affordability of the homes in question have prompted the slowing-down of completed deals, but this does not look to have affected the rising of prices in general. Property price growth is generally faster outside London, and this seems to be the current case. “The shift in the…

House prices in the UK, according to the Halifax, were up 10.2% in July (the first time it has risen above 10% for over seven years) from the year before, signalling the highest annual change since September 2007. In addition, property prices reportedly rose by 3.6% in the second quarter compared with the first and the monthly figures increased by 1.4%, meaning that the average home is now priced at £186,332. However, other lenders and banks, such as Nationwide, have suggested that the market is slowing down, with a rise of 11.8% in June falling to 10.6% in July. However, this…

The housing market has stabilised in recent weeks following a “spring bounce” in the amount of property purchases made in the second quarter, and prices in many regions have even begun to fall. However, house prices overall are still higher than they were at their most expensive in 2013. According to the Land Registry, seven out of ten regions across England and Wales recorded falls in house prices in June (with the biggest fall in Yorkshire and the Humber), though property prices were still nearly 6.5 percent better off than they were a year ago. It now seems widely accepted that…

Moving abroad? Here’s your four-week checklist of jobs to complete before the big day So you’re moving to a different country, which seemed like a good idea to start with but now you haven’t got a clue how to begin packing up your life in the UK in advance of starting a new one abroad. There’s a whole host of things that you need to remember to take care of before you leave – this should be a fairly comprehensive list but you never know what else might crop up to be dealt with… 4 weeks before the move: Throw out,…

House prices have begun to rise, climbing 1% in June, according to data collated by Nationwide, and surpassing peaks reached in 2007 prior to the 2008 global financial crisis. They are currently holding at an 11.8% from this time last year, with the average price for a property in London valued at over £400,000 for the first time. However, estate agents and surveyors say that there are variations in house prices throughout the country, and London does not necessarily reflect the situation elsewhere. For instance, the Land Registry has stated that prices have been falling in some areas of the North…

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House prices likely to increase less next year in bid to stabilise housing market The housing market has been rather unpredictable in recent years, which has made trying to move house a fairly difficult thing to get right in terms of timing. An opportune time may be now, before an upcoming mortgage market review by the Bank of England which surveyors expect will rein the turbulent market in. House prices rose quicker than expected throughout May according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, meaning there have been mixed signals coming through about which way the market is likely to turn…